A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

The correct answer emphasizes that children understanding the study's purpose introduces a significant complicating factor regarding demand characteristics. When participants are aware of the purpose of a study, they may alter their behavior to conform to perceived expectations or to respond in a way they believe is desirable to the researchers. In the context of Bandura et al.'s study, if the children understood they were being observed for their responses to aggressive behavior, it could potentially influence how they acted during the experiment, making their reactions less authentic and more aligned with what they thought the researchers wanted to see.

This understanding can lead to biased results, as the children's behavior may not accurately reflect their natural responses, but rather a performance based on their comprehension of the study's intentions. This element of self-awareness complicates the interpretation of the findings regarding aggressive imitation and calls into question the reliability of the data gathered in experiments where demand characteristics are present.